Conor Shine

Story Archive

More details of Union Village health care complex are unveiled
Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012
Curious Henderson residents living near the proposed site of the multibillion-dollar Union Village health care complex have more details on what the project will entail after its leaders presented the city with a development agreement Tuesday night.
Henderson consolidating more departments to cut expenses
Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012
With another deficit looming in next year’s budget, Henderson officials continue to try to shrink the government to cut down on costs.
How to choose the right contractor
Monday, Sept. 3, 2012
Choosing the right architect, contractor or designer for an office remodel is crucial to ensuring that the project is done on time and on budget. Many local contractors and architects still are struggling to find work in the post-recession economy, and some may pursue jobs they aren’t qualified to handle, said Jonelle Vance, executive vice president at Ed Vance and Associates Architects.
Office renovations are common in a down economy
Monday, Sept. 3, 2012
Renovations have been especially prevalent in Las Vegas’ business community as companies recover from the recession and try to adjust to smaller staffs and new ways of doing business. A glut of available commercial real estate means good deals can be found, and landlords may be willing to help tenants improve existing spaces.
First six months on the job present new Henderson city manager with plenty of challenges
Friday, Aug. 31, 2012
When Jacob Snow accepted the job as Henderson’s city manager in March, it came at a tumultuous time for the city. After nearly six months on the job, a new police chief has been hired, the budget has been balanced, and Snow said he’s just getting started.
10 of the Las Vegas Valley's biggest churches
Friday, Aug. 31, 2012
With gambling, drinking and partying accessible at nearly any hour of the day, Sin City may seem an unlikely place for faith to flourish. But each week, hundreds of thousands of valley residents turn out to worship at churches, synagogues and mosques, practicing faiths ranging from Catholicism to Sikhism.
Famed casino signs will be stars of the show when Neon Museum opens in October
Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012
A fenced-in lot near Las Vegas Boulevard in downtown Las Vegas has for years been the final resting place for some of the city’s historic neon signs, drawing only the occasional tourist, local or history buff inside for a tour. But come October, the sign graveyard will spring back to life.
4 Las Vegas companies lauded for their 'engaged workplaces'
Monday, Aug. 27, 2012
Four locally based companies were recognized Monday for their efforts in creating engaged workplaces for their employees.
Batmobile rides into Las Vegas ahead of 'Batman Live'
Monday, Aug. 27, 2012
It’s sleek, black and can drive upside down on the ceiling at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, but unfortunately for Las Vegas drivers, it won’t be hitting the market anytime soon. A new Batmobile, the iconic ride of DC Comic’s superhero Batman, was unveiled Monday morning in Las Vegas in advance of the October arrival of “Batman Live” at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Candlelight vigil for teen who died in storm is at 8 p.m.
Gathering to be held at school where William Mootz would have started his senior year next week
Friday, Aug. 24, 2012
William Mootz was supposed to start his senior year at Green Valley High School on Monday. Instead, the school will open today for a candlelight vigil in his honor. “It’s been a long three days. … Unfortunately it didn’t turn out the way anybody wanted it to,” said Charlie Mootz, William’s father. “We’re bringing him home.”
Flood-control system passes test during near-record rainfall, officials say
Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012
Near-record rainfall Wednesday tested the Las Vegas Valley’s flood-control system, but outside of localized street flooding that has since subsided, officials are reporting no serious damage from the storms.
Electricity will flow to Coyote Springs, but there are still no homes to power
Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012
There are no homes yet at the 43,000-acre Coyote Springs development 50 miles north of Las Vegas, but starting today, the troubled multibillion-dollar project will at least have power.
Nevada part of coordinated crackdown on marijuana grow sites
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012
Police have seized more than 30,000 marijuana plants in the last two months as part of an ongoing crackdown on grow operations on public lands in seven western states, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Social experiment finds Las Vegas equal to Washington, D.C., and ahead of L.A. for honesty
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012
When it comes to being honest, Sin City isn’t so sinful, according to a survey conducted last week by beverage maker Honest Tea.
Website helps customers and businesses cash in on birthdays
Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012
Jeffrey Spry’s big idea started with an ice cream sundae. While celebrating a birthday dinner with his wife at Red Lobster, a waitress brought Spry a free dessert. “They brought out this huge sundae, which was awesome,” Spry recalled. “I said ‘I bet you can get stuff like this everywhere for free.’”
Henderson named among nation's top 100 small cities
Monday, Aug. 20, 2012
Plenty of parks, affordable housing and no state income tax help Henderson rate as one of the best places in the country to live, according to a survey by CNN Money. Henderson checked in at number 66 on the annual “Best Places to Live List,” its first time on the list since it came in 84th in 2008.
For one night, AFAN turns emphasis from necessities to glitz and glamour
Black and White Party raises funds for Aid for AIDS of Nevada
Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012
Next Saturday night, the Nirvana Pool at the Hard Rock Hotel will be flooded with revelers clad in black and white as they gather to drink, socialize and raise money for local nonprofit Aid for AIDS of Nevada.
After Metro yanks video from web, judge says defense motion in Burkett case is moot
Friday, Aug. 17, 2012
A judge on Friday declined to take action against Metro Police after the department voluntarily pulled from its website a video in which a homicide lieutenant referred to the suspect in the decades-old slayings of two Las Vegas women as “an animal” and a “serial killer.”
Leaders praise completion of I-15 work near Las Vegas Beltway
Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012
After two years of orange cones, detours and road closures, motorists traveling on Interstate 15 near the Las Vegas Beltway interchange will finally be able to drive easy with the completion of the $246 million I-15 South Design-Build Project.
Southern Nevada gas prices rising, but not as high as in northern part of state
Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012
Fuel prices are on the rise throughout Nevada, thanks in part to a recent fire at a Northern California oil refinery, according to data released Tuesday by the AAA auto club.
Bob Forbuss, victim of Lou Gehrig's disease, was a true Las Vegas champion
Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012
During a career that included stints as a high school teacher, emergency medical technician, CEO of an ambulance company and eventually a role as one of Las Vegas’ leading philanthropist and community leaders, Robert “Bob” Forbuss was motivated by a singular goal: making his beloved hometown a better place to live.
Honesty experiment: To pay or not to pay for that drink when no one is watching?
Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012
As Sinan Karatoy trudged northward on the Las Vegas Strip in the triple-degree desert heat Monday afternoon, he came across what must have seemed like an oasis: a small tent stocked with cold bottles of iced tea priced at $1 each. There was no attendant at the booth, and only a small plastic box was set out to collect payment for the tea.
Cops raid marijuana grow house, find 50 pot plants
Monday, Aug. 13, 2012
Metro Police discovered about 50 marijuana plants with a value estimated at $150,000 during a raid on a grow house in the southwest valley Monday evening, police said.
Charges filed in burglary that netted antique gun collection
Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
A Las Vegas man has been charged with stealing 31 guns and two cars from a local couple’s home while they were away on vacation, according to an indictment released Friday by the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
Indictment charges Las Vegas doctor, nurses with murder in hepatitis C death
Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
Dipak Desai, the Las Vegas doctor at the center of the 2007-2008 hepatitis scare, and two of his nurses have been charged with second-degree murder. The charges come after the death of Rodolfo Meana, one of the patients who contracted the hepatitis C virus at Desai’s clinic, according to an indictment released Friday by the Clark County District Attorney’s Office.
Errant gunshot kills onlooker watching fight in apartment parking lot
Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
A man is dead after being shot Friday morning during an altercation at a party in the central valley, Metro Police said. Police received a call of shots fired shortly after 2 a.m. Friday at an apartment complex in the 600 block of East Twain Avenue, between Paradise Road and Swenson Street.
Standoff ends with arrest of suspect in Thursday slaying
Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
Metro Police have arrested a Las Vegas man in connection with a shooting outside an east valley convenience store Thursday morning that left one man dead.
Coroner can't pinpoint cause of death for baby found in trash bin
Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
The Clark County Coroner has ruled the cause of death of Baby Girl Robinson, the infant found last month in a Las Vegas trash bin, as undetermined, the Coroner’s Office said Friday.
Drones rocketing into new uses, raising questions of privacy, misuse
Unmanned vehicles convention at Mandalay Bay lures 567 exhibitors from 40 countries
Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
They can fly, swim and even walk, carrying cameras or cargo long distances through often-treacherous terrain. The military has researched and used unmanned vehicle systems, commonly known as drones, for 40 years in faraway war zones.
Six drones and their potential uses
Friday, Aug. 10, 2012
Built in a variety of shapes and sizes, unmanned vehicle systems, commonly known as drones, can travel by land, air or sea and perform a wide variety of tasks.
Whether it’s search and rescue, wilderness exploration or cargo delivery, drones increasingly are being used in nonmilitary applications, and proponents say the potential of the technology is just being tapped.
New early lung cancer detection program offers free CT scans to Nevada Test Site workers
Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012
Years of exposure to radiation, asbestos and other construction materials at the Nevada Test Site have left many former workers with health ailments related to their jobs, including increased incidences of cancer. For years, the U.S. Department of Energy has provided medical care and screenings to these workers, and on Wednesday, the department announced the expansion of an early lung cancer screening program into Las Vegas.
Work begins on new, expanded Gay and Lesbian Community Center downtown
Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012
After years of being hidden in a nondescript shopping center in the central valley, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada’s new building will be hard to miss when it opens later this year.
New VA hospital offering simplified, expanded services is completed
Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2012
After six years of construction, dignitaries marked the completion of the $600 million Veterans Affairs Medical Center at 6900 N. Pecos Road. It will begin taking patients Aug. 14.
Harry Reid keeps pressure on Mitt Romney over tax returns
Monday, Aug. 6, 2012
Sen. Harry Reid kept up the pressure on Mitt Romney on Monday over the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s refusal to release more of his tax returns. The Nevada senator has accused Romney of not paying taxes for 10 years.
The Hotel at Mandalay Bay will become Delano Las Vegas next year
Monday, Aug. 6, 2012
The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, the shimmering gold 43-story tower that dominates the south end of the Strip, will get a new name and a new interior next year. MGM Resorts International announced a partnership Monday with the Morgans Hotel Group to launch Delano Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay.
Veterans Affairs hospital dedicated in North Las Vegas
Monday, Aug. 6, 2012
After nearly a decade of planning and six years of construction, Las Vegas Valley veterans got a first look at a new, $600 million Veterans Affairs hospital in North Las Vegas Monday morning.
Making a difference, one thread at a time
Culture of volunteerism takes root among local corporations
Monday, Aug. 6, 2012
On a recent Monday morning, employees from the Cosmopolitan gathered at Opportunity Village to help people with intellectual disabilities decorate scarves to be sold at a fundraiser for the Las Vegas nonprofit group, which teaches clients vocational and living skills.
One-of-a-kind Denny’s to call Neonopolis home
Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012
In the age of Facebook and Twitter, Denny’s restaurant is trying to bring the original social network — the diner — back to prominence. To further the effort, the company plans to open a new, 6,432-square-foot "flagship" location in Neonopolis in downtown Las Vegas, which will see a number of new bars and restaurants open over the next year, including the 80,000-square-foot Krave Massive nightclub one floor up at Neonopolis.
VA ready to lift wraps on new $600 million medical center in North Las Vegas
Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012
For decades, Southern Nevada veterans seeking medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs had to navigate a complex web of primary care and specialist offices across 20 valley locations. By the end of the year, the long drives and headaches should be a thing of the past.
Panel featuring Tuskegee Airmen brings historical touch to aerospace convention
Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012
Capt. Roscoe Brown spent two years flying with the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, logging more than 200 missions with his squadron. But, Brown says, people only ever ask about one. “Everybody always wants to know how I shot down the jet,” the 90-year-old Brown said Wednesday in Las Vegas. Brown, then 23 years old, was flying a long-range mission in 1945 as an escort for bombers on their way to attack Berlin when he saw a fleet of jets on his 11 o’clock.
National chain joins line of urgent care clinic options in Las Vegas Valley
Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2012
The expansion of Doctors Express into the Las Vegas market is part of an ongoing nationwide boom in quick-care-style clinics that offer a more convenient, cost-effective alternative for people seeking basic medical care on a walk-in basis.
Mattress donations cushion worries for Las Vegas homeless shelters
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Some in Las Vegas’s homeless population will be able to sleep a bit easier, thanks to a donation of 200 new beds to the Salvation Army. The donation was made by the California-based nonprofit WorldBed, which plans to donate a total of 2,000 of its specially designed “shelter beds” to local homeless shelters run by the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Shade Tree and Las Vegas Rescue Mission.
Three more officer-involved shootings cleared by district attorney
Monday, July 30, 2012
The Clark County District Attorney’s Office has determined that Metro Police officers involved in three separate fatal officer involved shootings in 2011 acted lawfully in each instance, according to documents released Monday.
St. Jude’s Ranch Crossings offers homeless young adults chance to start anew
Monday, July 30, 2012
Jonathan Reeves’ favorite feature of his new apartment is one of the simplest – the door locks. After months spent crashing on the couches of friends and drifting in and out of the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center in downtown Las Vegas, last month Reeves, 21, moved into a new studio apartment at St. Jude’s Ranch Crossings, a supportive housing program for homeless young adults between the ages of 18 and 25.
SafeNest worker's sexual coercion caught on video
Friday, July 27, 2012
An exchange where an employee at a North Las Vegas social services agency tried to coerce a women into having sex with him instead of working her community service hours was caught on video by the victim, according to police documents. The incident occurred Sunday when a 24-year-old woman reported to the SafeNest Donation Center at 4208 Arcata Way to discuss her duties. SafeNest is a nonprofit that assists victims of domestic violence.
Henderson resident's artifact verified as authentic piece of New York history
PBS 'History Detectives' verify metal plate was from bomber that hit Empire State Building in 1945
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
For more than 60 years, a small, melted hunk of metal lined with rivets has been an object of fascination and the subject of countless school show-and-tell projects for Henderson resident Irv Atkins and his family.
The artifact was discovered by Atkins’ father, Louis, in his 10th-story office in midtown Manhattan on July 30, 1945, two days after a B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building, which towered across the street from Louis Atkins’ office.
Owners look to revitalize western valley shopping and office complex
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
After buying Village Square in late 2011, the shopping and office center’s new owners quickly set to work recruiting new tenants, adding 10 businesses since the start of the year. Now the owners are looking to build on that momentum by launching a wide-reaching renovation.
PBS’ ‘History Detectives’ take on case of Henderson resident’s WWII-era artifact
Son hoping keepsake is piece of bomber that crashed into Empire State Building in 1945
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
When Louis Atkins arrived to work on Monday morning, July 30, 1945, he found a small hunk of metal sitting in his midtown Manhattan office in New York City. The mangled piece of metal was severely burned and sported rows of rivets. Atkins surmised the object was part of the B-25 bomber that two days earlier had crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building, which sat across the street from his office. The crash killed 14 people. Atkins took the piece home to show his family, and over the next 60 years, the artifact and its origins became an accepted part of Atkins’ family lore.
In desert summer, outreach to homeless begins with water
Monday, July 23, 2012
As Ed Vega pilots his gray Hyundai SUV down Maryland Parkway, Mindy Torres sits in the passenger seat, scanning the sidewalks. “Over there,” she exclaims as she sees a disheveled man pushing a shopping cart down the sidewalk. Vega quickly pulls the car to the side of the road as Torres rolls down her window and offers several bottles of ice-cold water to the homeless man.
Mount Charleston's recreational areas undergoing multimillion-dollar upgrades
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Campgrounds and picnic areas around Mount Charleston will be getting a multimillion-dollar facelift over the next several years, leading to closures and potential headaches for visitors during construction.
Once the work is finished though, visitors will be rewarded with cleaner, more accessible public areas and new trails throughout the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, which is home to Mount Charleston and several other peaks.